1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates to medical devices and more particularly to a securing bridge for a catheter which has been inserted in the body of a neonate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Premature human babies frequently require to be given medicine within the bloodstream on a regular basis. It is also normal to have to extract blood samples on a regular basis. Because these infants are so small, it is not desirable to have to puncture the infant with a needle in order to extract blood or to give medicine.
In the past, right after the birth of the neonate, there is a ready available access opening into the bloodstream through the umbilical stump. Medical personnel take a small diameter catheter and insert such through the umbilical stump into the bloodstream. The precise position of this catheter is verified through the use of an x-ray. Once the correct position has been ascertained, it is necessary to tightly bind the catheter to the body of the neonate. Neonates move uncontrollably and thrash about. If the portion of the catheter that is located directly adjacent the umbilical stump is not tightly secured, the catheter will become dislodged. This dislodgement is most undesirable as it requires reinsertion which may be a most difficult thing to do since the umbilical stump tends to tightly close up a few days after birth.
In order avoid this dislodgement, in addition to suturing the catheter to the umbilical stump, nursing personnel have commonly used a securing bridge constructed from adhesive tape for the catheter. The bridge consists of bottom layers placed and adhesively secured against the stomach of the neonate around the umbilical stump. Upward extending sections are then attached to these bottom layers with separate layers being transversely applied to the upward extending layers with these transverse layers located in a facing abutting relationship and being adhesively secured together and binding therebetween the portion of the catheter that is located directly adjacent the umbilical stump. This installing procedure of such a bridge is time consuming and inherently costly since the salary of most nursing personnel is reasonably expensive. This tape created bridge takes several minutes for a nurse to construct. Also this bridge does not secure the catheter in the most secure manner. After the suturing, the bridge tape is then applied. These bridge tapes often lose adhesiveness permitting the catheter to become free from the bridge and dislodge from the neonate. Other factors contributing to dislodgement include poor taping, poor suturing, excessive movement of the neonate, loss of adhesiveness due to bodily secretions and procedures carried by nursing personnel such as weighing or moving of the infant. The suturing of catheters is a definite requirement. However, it is not adequate to totally rely on suturing but to also require taping of the catheter to insure that it will not be accidentally dislodged.